The towering spires, intricate masonry, and ornate stained-glass windows of a gothic cathedral attest to the vast sums of money and human labor required to construct it. The sheer opulence of such a building reflects a bygone society obsessed with power, authority, and beauty. The smallest details were painstakingly etched into stone, wood, and glass despiteContinue reading “Cathedral Building for Dummies: The Need for Traditional Churches”
Tag Archives: Christianity
[Video] Christianity in the Lord of the Rings: Creation, Lembas, and Beyond
Middle Earth is full of characters exhibiting Christian symbolism through their words, actions, and relationships, as covered in Parts I, II, and III of this series on Christianity in The Lord of the Rings. However, the Christian symbolism extends beyond characters to include objects and places. Already, the Ring was covered in Part III dueContinue reading “[Video] Christianity in the Lord of the Rings: Creation, Lembas, and Beyond”
[Video] Christianity in the Lord of the Rings: The Bad Guys
In this part 3 of a series on Christianity in the Lord of the Rings, I cover the subject of Evil in Middle Earth, including Sauron, the Ring Wraiths, orcs, Saruman, and Gollum. Of course, no symbolic video on the Lord of the Rings would be complete without a breakdown of the symbolism behind theContinue reading “[Video] Christianity in the Lord of the Rings: The Bad Guys”
The Earworm that Rocked the Early Church
The manipulative power of music is well known to those who have a financial interest in persuasion. Popular jingles like “I’m Lovin’ It” and “Gimme a Break” have been used to sell billions of dollars worth of product through their simple, unforgettable melodies that stay with us whenever we’re deciding where to eat or whatContinue reading “The Earworm that Rocked the Early Church “
Great Books of Christianity: The Modern Era
The most challenging period in which to select the great books of Christianity is the modern era. The sheer volume of Christian literature produced in the last two centuries makes extracting out “the best” a difficult task. Moreover, books written closer to the present have not yet been sorted by the harshest critic of all:Continue reading “Great Books of Christianity: The Modern Era “
Great Books of Christianity: Reformation and Enlightenment
In our third installment of the Great Books of Christianity, we explore the works hailing from one of the most tumultuous times in Christian history: the Reformation. As new forms of Christianity spread throughout the West, theologians on all sides sharpened their pens and duked it out on parchment. The theological battles that raged foreverContinue reading “Great Books of Christianity: Reformation and Enlightenment”
Great Books of Christianity: The Medieval Period
Christianity is no stranger to the great books of the West and stands out among the great books as the inspiration for many of the foundational works of philosophy, literature, and science. Thus, there are a subset of great books in the West that aim to study Christianity itself. The Medieval period (~600 AD –Continue reading “Great Books of Christianity: The Medieval Period”
TW on Youtube: Christianity and the Overlooked Good Guys of Middle Earth
In this part 2 of our series on Christianity in the Lord of the Rings, I cover the often overlooked good guys of Middle Earth and the sprinkle of Christianity that Tolkien wrote into them. Galadriel, the Elves, Sam Gamgee, and Boromir all have Biblical or archetypal roles they fill. If you missed part 1,Continue reading “TW on Youtube: Christianity and the Overlooked Good Guys of Middle Earth”
Great Books of Christianity: The Early Church
Perhaps no other topic has been written about in the West more than Christianity. In the past 2,000 years, tomes on the faith have been written by kings, monks, prophets, and laymen alike. One might conclude that no other faith has inspired, and been inspired by, great literature quite like Christianity. Therefore, in our nextContinue reading “Great Books of Christianity: The Early Church”
TW on YouTube: Christianity in The Lord of the Rings (part 1: The Threefold Office)
Despite numerous attempts to discredit the Christian elements in the Lord of the Rings, Tolkien himself admits his greatest work is indeed a Christian, even a Catholic, work. Here, I revisit an old video topic and cover the priest, prophet, and king elements in the figures of Frodo, Gandalf, and Aragorn. More videos on otherContinue reading “TW on YouTube: Christianity in The Lord of the Rings (part 1: The Threefold Office)”